Italian Verbs and Expressions

Verbs and Expressions in Italian

Common -Are Verbs

  • Fare attenzione: to pay attention

  • Fare il bagno/ la doccia: to take a bath/ shower

  • Essere: to be

  • Abitare: to live (in)

  • Arrivare: to arrive

  • Aspettare: to wait

  • Cambiare: to change

  • Cenare: to have dinner

  • Cercare: to look for

  • Chiamare: to call (name)

  • Cominciare (a): to begin (to)

  • Comprare: to buy

  • Desiderare: to desire/ want

  • Dimenticare: to forget

  • Disegnare: to draw

  • Diventare: to become

  • Frequentare: to attend/ to date

  • Guidare: to drive

  • Imparare(a): to learn (to)

  • Incontrare: to meet (with)

  • Insegnare: to teach

  • Lavorare: to work

  • Mandare: to send

  • Mangiare: to eat

  • Pagare: to pay

  • Pensare di/a: to think (about/of)

  • Portare: to bring/wear

  • Practicare: to practice

  • Ricordare: to remember

  • (Ri)tornare: to return/ to come back

  • Spiegare: to explain

  • Studiare: to study

  • Telefonare(a): to telephone (to call someone)

  • Trovare: to find

  • Usare: to use

  • Viaggiare: to travel

  • Guardare: to look

  • Giocare: to play (sports)

  • Suonare: to play (instruments)

  • Ballare: to dance

  • Parlare: to speak

Common Irregular Verbs

  • Andare: to go

  • Dare: to give

  • Fare: to do/make

Common Expressions with "Fare"

  • Fare colazione: to have breakfast

  • Fare due passi: to take a short walk

  • Fare una corsa: to take a run

  • Fare una domanda: to ask a question

  • Fare una foto: to take a picture

  • Fare una gita: to take a field trip

  • Fare una passeggiata: to take a walk

  • Fare la spesa/spese: to buy groceries/ to shop

  • Fare un viaggio: to take a trip

Common Expressions with "Avere"

  • Avere anni: to be …. years old

  • Avere bisogno di: to need

  • Avere caldo: to feel hot

  • Avere fame: to be hungry

  • Avere freddo: to feel cold

  • Avere fretta: to be in a hurry

  • Avere paura (di): to be afraid (of)

  • Avere ragione: to be right

  • Avere sete: to be thirsty

  • Avere sonno: to be sleepy

  • Avere torto: to be wrong

  • Avere voglia di: to feel like

Other Common Verbs

  • Chiedere: to ask (for) (things)

  • Chiudere: to close

  • Correre: to run

  • Dipingere: to paint

  • Mettere: to put

  • Prendere: to take

  • Ricevere: to receive

  • Ripetere: to repeat

  • Rispondere (a): to respond/ reply (to)

  • Scrivere: to write

  • Spendere: to spend (money)

  • Vedere: to see

  • Vivere: to live

  • Leggere: to read

  • Prendere una decisione: to make a decision

  • Piacere: to please

  • Stare: to stay/be

  • Avere: to have

Common -Ire Verbs

  • Partire: to leave

  • Aprire: to open

  • Dormire: to sleep

  • Offrire: to offer

  • Seguire: to follow/ to take ( a class)

  • Sentire: to feel/ to hear

  • Servire: to serve

  • Capire: to understand

  • Finire: to finish

  • Preferire: to prefer

  • Pulire: to clean

  • Spedire: to send

Modal Verbs

  • Dover: to have to

  • Potere: to be able to

  • Volere: to want to

  • Dire: to say/tell

  • Venire: to come

  • Uscire: to go out/ to leave

More Verbs

  • Accendere: turn on

  • Aprire: open

  • Chiedere: to ask

  • Chiudere: close

  • Comporre: compose

  • Correre: to run

  • Decidere: to decide

  • Dire: to say

  • Leggere: to read

  • Mettere: to put

  • Offrire: to offer

  • Prendere: lose

  • Rispondere: to respond

  • Scrivere: to write

  • Spegnere: to shut down

  • Spendere: to spend

  • Vedere: to see

  • Vincere: to win

Time Expressions

  • Ieri sere: last night

  • L’altro ieri: the day before yesterday

  • Il mese scorso: last month

  • La settimana scorsa: last week

  • … giorni fa: …. days ago

  • Un anno fa: a year ago

Verbs of Motion/Change of State

  • Cadere: to fall

  • Costare: to cost/ to be worth

  • Diventare: to become

  • Entrare: to enter

  • Morire: to die

  • Nascere: to be born

  • Piacere: to please/ to like

  • Restare: to stay/ to remain

  • Salire: to climb/ to get up/ to get on (bus/train)

  • Scendere: to go down/ to get down

  • Bere: to drink

Reflexive verbs

  • Alzarsi: to get up

  • Annoiarsi: to get/be bored

  • Arrabbiarsi: to get angry

  • Chiamarsi: to be called (name)

  • Divertirsi: to have fun

  • Farsi male: to hurt oneself

  • Fermarsi: to stop oneself

  • Innamorarsi: to fall in love

  • Lamentarsi (di): to complain (about)

  • Laurearsi: to graduate college

  • Mettersi: to put on

  • Pettinarsi: to comb/brush one’s hair

  • Preoccuparsi (di): to worry (about)

  • Prepararsi: to get ready

  • Radersi: to shave

  • Rendersi conto (di): to realize

  • Riposarsi: to relax

  • Sbagliarsi: to make a mistake

  • Sedersi: to sit down

  • Spogliarsi: to undress

  • Sposarsi: to get married

  • Truccarsi: to put makeup on

  • Vestirsi: to get dressed

  • Svegliarsi: to wake up

Reciprocal Verbs

  • Abbracciarsi: to hug each other

  • Aiutarsi: to help each other

  • Amarsi: to love each other

  • Baciarsi: to kiss each other

  • Chiamarsi: to call each other

  • Conoscersi: to know each other

  • Darsi: to give each other

  • Guardarsi: to look at each other

  • Incontrarsi: to meet each other

  • Innamorarsi: to fall in love with each other

  • Lasciarsi: to leave each other/ to split up

  • Odiarsi: to hate each other

  • Parlarsi: to speak to each other

  • Salutarsi: to greet each other

  • Scriversi: to write to each other

  • Separarsi: to get separated from each other

  • Sposarsi: to get married to each other

  • Telefonarsi: to phone each other

  • Vedersi: to see each other